For some of us, the announcement of the NFL schedule is something like an adult version of Christmas morning. We start making travel plans, coordinate road trips and dissect each stretch of games to evaluate our team’s chances of making a run into the postseason. The NFL will announce the entire slate of 2010 games on Tuesday evening, April 20th and Bears fans should pay attention. Why? Because their schedule is loaded with intrigue.

Some possibilities…

1. The Bears host the New York Jets in a game the league will certainly be aiming to show in primetime and – in my opinion – early in the season.

2. The rumors are swirling that the Bears will be the Cowboys’ opponent on Thanksgiving afternoon.

3. Rumors are also rampant that the Bears will meet the Buffalo Bills in Toronto, setting up an opportunity for the league’s best fans to invade the country to the north.

4. If the Vikings lose the Williams sisters for the first four games, those first four games might be the most important the team plays all season long. The NFC North doesn’t have a gimme on their schedule this year.

5. The Bears most high-profile game of the year may have become their home contest with the Washington Redskins, with hometown boy Donovan McNabb at quarterback and Jay Cutler’s former head coach Mike Shanahan in charge of things.